1. Field of the Present Disclosure
This disclosure relates generally to protective sleeves and more particularly to a sleeve for protecting the end of a fence post.
2. Description of Related Art including information disclosed under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98.
Fisher, U.S. Pat. No. 94,195, discloses a design for a post support, such design showing a box-like construction with a chiseled lower edge and an open top for receiving a square post. Side fins extend from two opposing sides of the support.
Banks, U.S. Pat. No. 1,402,561, discloses a post support providing a cylindrical receiver, chisel lower edge, disk shaped cap portion, and outwardly and downwardly extending stabilizing teeth.
Knowles, U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,231, discloses a post support for permanent installation at or below ground level including a post receiving collar affixed to fins. The fins have collar supporting shoulders against which a post may rest. A driver/cap/marker has a cap and sleeve with sleeve length the same as the collars length so that when the driver/cap/marker is inserted into the collar the lower edge of the sleeve rests on the shoulders and the underside of the cap/marker rests on top of the collar. The driver/cap/marker serves firstly as a tool for inserting the support into he ground and secondly as a cover for an unused support, and thirdly for marking the location of an unused collar.
Wells, U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,663 discloses a ground anchor for a post including an elongated vertically extending cylindrical PVC tube and including at the lower end of the tube an end member having a cylindrical portion snugly and frictionally fit within the tube and a conical portion projecting downwardly from the tube to a point, the end member having thereon within the tube an upwardly facing drive surface. An elongate driving member is removable insertable into the tube and has at one end a driving which is engagable with the free surface on the end member. In a variation, the tube has at the upper end a collar which includes an axially extending annular flange snugly fir within the upper end of the tube and a further annular flange projecting radially outwardly from the support end of the axial flange.
Boyd et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,555, discloses a breakaway post coupling with a hollow, tubular sleeve which accommodates a ground-mounted stub post and a top, sign-supporting post. The sleeve is held onto the posts by a plurality of pins which engage a corresponding plurality of slots in the sleeve. Collars slidably engage the sleeve and force the pins into the post material as the collars are drawn over the sleeve and pins. A plurality of cutouts in the sleeve define a shear point in the coupling. When the top post is struck by a vehicle, the coupling breaks at the shear point, leaving an intact stub post upon which a new top post can be joined.
Fitzsimmons et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,571,229, discloses a support structure or ground sleeve for supporting a pole including a cap threadably engagable with an open end of a sleeve body. The ground sleeve includes a sleeve body adapted to be positioned in a ground surface for receiving and supporting a pole and includes at least one flange extending outwardly from the sleeve body for preventing the sleeve from rotating in the ground, a collet for engaging the pole, and an inwardly tapered closed end of the sleeve body for centering an end of the pole. An inwardly tapered race surface of the cap and a plurality of circumferentially-spaced tabs of the sleeve body cooperate to define the collet. In addition, the ground sleeve is formed of a weather resistant non-corrosive material.
Killick, U.S. Pat. No. 5,625,988, discloses a support assembly for a roadside or traffic signpost includes a mounting socket cylinder fixed in the ground for receiving a support post therein. A resilient support means in the form of a pair of O-rings is interposable between the post and the mounting cylinder. A reinforcing collar prevents deformation of adjacent portions of the mounting cylinder and the post.
Aberle, U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,464, discloses a ground pocket support device for removably mounting a post having variable cross-section shape and size. The ground pocket support device includes an elongate ground engaging member having upper and lower end portions. The member is adapted for placement in the ground and defines a hollow post-receiving portion for receiving and supporting a post in a substantially upright position. The ground engaging member further includes elongate wall members and a post wedging mechanism positioned toward the lower end portion for firmly engaging the lower end of a post inserted therewithin. A post-engaging member is disposed at the upper end portion of the ground engaging member. The post-engaging member includes members for removably anchoring a post inserted within the ground engaging member and for adjusting the vertical alignment of the post independent of the vertical alignment between the ground engaging member and the ground in which it is placed.
Peery, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,580, discloses a method and apparatus for assembling a selected street pole to a standard sized base. The method includes the step of selecting a street pole of a predetermined configuration. Encircling portions, preferably rings consisting of two semi-circular portions, each having a nestable section with each other and a complementary section with the selected street pole are then provided. The encircling portions are nested together on the standard sized base to connect the standard sized base to the selected street pole thereby continuing the appearance finish of the standard sized base while preventing unauthorized access to an interior of the standard sized base. The apparatus includes the encircling portions to connect the standard sized base to the selected street pole.
Zuares, U.S. Pat. No. 5,832,675, discloses a prefabricated flashing for post bases intended for installation in new or existing construction comprising two different pieces. One piece having a nailing flange which fits snugly around a post whose dimension is five-sixteenths of an inch square, and has a total of eight nail holes and four tapered sides that terminate in a bottom flange. The second piece is shaped and sized similarly to the first except that it is split vertically straight across the nailing flange and on one side has an extension of material which creates a seam.
Doeringer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,901,525, discloses an elevated column base for supporting a wood column subjected to high mechanical loads and protecting the column lowermost portion from rot and other deterioration due to exposure to a tropical environment. The column base includes a stanchion, a diaphragm, and a cap, each monolithically molded from a thermoplastic. A first embodiment of the stanchion adapted for a 6.times.6 or 8.times.8 column includes a solid base portion with a cavity which is filled with concrete and plugged with the diaphragm. The stanchion has two pairs of side walls attached to the base portion. Opposed gussets attached to the upper portions of one pair stiffen the side walls against transverse loads. Most of the load carried by the wood column is borne by the concrete and by two horizontal bolts. The diaphragm acts to spread the load force to the base portion and side walls. The load on the diaphragm acts to create a seal against moisture entering the cavity. A second embodiment of the stanchion adapted for a 4.times.4 column does not include gussets. The cap has four lateral faces fitting closely over the stanchion side walls, and a top face with a square aperture formed by four flexible web portions pressing against the wood column. After the column lowermost portion is secured within the stanchion by the bolts, the cap is slid downwardly until the ends of slots in the lateral faces contact the bolts. Each cap bottom corner edge and trough then bound an aperture through which water collected above the diaphragm can drain.
The prior art teaches various means for mounting and protecting a buried end of a post or beam. However, the prior art does not teach a peripheral elastomeric seal that has means for accepting one end of a protective sleeve and that is able to compressed by a molding against a post to attain a water and insect proof enclosure. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary and detailed description and as shown in the accompanying corresponding figures.